Can coating system

ABSTRACT

A coating apparatus is provided which comprises a can defining an internal chamber. A hollow sleeve which itself defines an internal space is located within the chamber. The hollow sleeve defines with the can an annular space. A plurality of perforations are located in the wall of the hollow sleeve for communicating the annular space with the internal space defined by the sleeve. A lid for enclosing the can and the hollow sleeve is secured to the can for forming a closed compartment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a process for coating an airfoil toprotect it against oxidation and corrosion during operation and to aparticular apparatus for use in chemical vapor deposition processes toform an oxidation and corrosion resistant coating on external andinternal surfaces of said airfoil.

Aluminide coatings are applied on nickel-based superalloy turbineairfoils to protect the airfoils against oxidation and corrosion duringoperation in the turbine section of engines. These coatings are formedby the deposition of aluminum onto the surfaces of the airfoils. Areaction occurs between the nickel in the airfoil material and thedeposited aluminum to form nickel-based aluminides. At hightemperatures, in the presence of air, the aluminum in the nickelaluminide coating forms a thin, adherent aluminum oxide at the surfaceof the coating. This aluminum oxide provides a barrier against furtheroxidation and corrosion of the turbine airfoil. The external surfaces ofturbine airfoils in most engines are coated with aluminides. Theperformance requirements of the engines determine whether aluminidecoatings also are required on the internal surfaces of the airfoils.

Currently, there are two processes used in the prior art to internallycoat airfoils. One process employs a slurry technique and is used forairfoils that operate in the low pressure turbine section of an engine.The second process uses chemical vapor deposition to coat the internalsurfaces of the airfoils for the high pressure turbine section of anengine. Different coating processes are employed for the two differenttypes of airfoils because the high pressure turbine section of an engineoperates at a higher temperature and pressure than the low pressureturbine section of an engine. As a result, the coating applied to highpressure turbine airfoils must have higher temperature capacity and mustbe more robust than those applied to low pressure turbine airfoils.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,765 to Milaniak et al. describes a slurry techniquefor coating internal passages in low pressure turbine airfoils. Theslurry described in this patent cannot be used to coat the internalpassages of high pressure turbine airfoils for the following reasons:

(1) the slurry produces a coating that is too brittle;

(2) the coating is too thick to apply to the internal cooling passagesof high pressure turbine airfoils; and

(3) it is not compatible with the processes used to coat the externalsurfaces of airfoils.

Chemical vapor deposition processes used to coat airfoils employ anapparatus known as a coat boat as generally shown in FIG. 1. During thecoating process, turbine airfoils 10 are placed in an upright positionwithin a compartmentalized, large metal box or coating fixture 12,called a coat boat. The figure illustrates a typical coat boxarrangement. To coat the internal passages of the airfoils 10, chemicals14 are placed in a compartment 16 below the airfoils. The airfoils aremounted on specialized plumbing tools 18 that allow vapors to flowthrough the internal cooling passages of the airfoils. Argon gas isintroduced into the lower compartment 16 via inlet 20 to force thecoating vapors through the internal areas of the airfoils. These vaporsreact with the internal surfaces of the airfoil to produce an aluminidecoating. At the same, chemicals 14 in an upper compartment 22 createvapors which react with the external surfaces of the airfoil to form analuminide coating thereon. There are problems however associated withthis coat boat process. The problems include (1) the large coat boatwhich is heavy and ergonomically unsafe to handle, (2) excessive time tocoat airfoils due to the large volume of the coat boat, and (3) a fixedcapacity due to the fact that the process is a batch process.

Thus, there remains a need for an apparatus and a coating process whicheliminates the problems associated with employment of a coat boat in thechemical vapor deposition processes currently employed. There is also aneed for an apparatus and a coating process which allows the externaland internal surfaces of an airfoil to be coated during a single cycle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for use in chemical vapor deposition processes for forming acorrosion and oxidation resistant coatings on the surfaces of airfoils.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatusand process as above which produces coatings of desired thickness andallows the internal surfaces of an airfoil to be coated simultaneouslywith the external surfaces of the airfoil.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide anapparatus and a process which is ergonomically acceptable, reducescoating time and cost, increases coating capacity and the flexibility ofsingle piece coating.

The foregoing objects are attained by the coating composition and thecoating process of the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, a coating apparatus isprovided which comprises a can defining an internal chamber. A hollowsleeve which itself defines an internal space is located within thechamber. The hollow sleeve defines with the can an annular space. Aplurality of perforations are located in the wall of the hollow sleevefor communicating the annular space with the internal space defined bythe sleeve. A lid for enclosing the can and the hollow sleeve is securedto the can for forming a closed compartment.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention thelid includes a slot for supporting a workpiece in the form of an airfoilwithin the internal space defined by the hollow sleeve. The perforationsin the hollow sleeve are sized so as to provide sufficient communicationof chemical vapors from the annular space to the internal space so as tocoat the airfoil by chemical vapor deposition during the coatingprocess. The perforations are preferably sized between about 0.05 to0.20 inches in diameter.

In accordance with the process of the present invention a chemicalcoating composition is located in the annular space between the can andthe hollow sleeve. An activator is located within the internal spacedefined by the hollow sleeve below the airfoil. The can which is sealedby the lid is then heated for sufficient time and temperature so as toaffect chemical vapor deposition of the coating chemical composition onthe airfoil.

Further details of the apparatus and the process of the presentinvention, as well as further objects and advantages, are set forth inthe following detailed description and the accompanying drawings whereinlike reference numerals depict like elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art coating fixture for coating internal andexternal surfaces of an airfoil; and

FIG. 2 illustrates an apparatus in accordance with the present inventionfor coating internal and external surfaces of an airfoil.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

The present invention is drawn to an apparatus and a process for coatingan airfoil to protect it against oxidation and corrosion duringoperation. The primary purpose for the apparatus of the presentinvention is for uses in chemical vapor deposition processes to form anoxidation and corrosion resistant coating on external and internalsurfaces of an airfoil.

With reference to FIG. 2, the apparatus of the present invention will bedescribed. The apparatus 10 comprises a can 12 which defines a chamber14. Located within the can 12 in the chamber 14 is a hollow sleeve 16which itself defines an internal space 18 for receiving a workpiece orairfoil 20 in a manner to be described hereinbelow.

The hollow sleeve 16 defines with the can 12 an annular space 22 betweenthe hollow sleeve and the can. The size of the annular space 22 is suchthat it is sufficient in volume to contain a required amount of achemical coating composition 24 which is necessary for the chemicalvapor deposition process to be described hereinbelow. In accordance withthe present invention it has been found useful to space the hollowsleeve from the can a substantially uniform distance of about between0.25 to 0.75 inches. Generally the dimensions of the can and sleeve aredetermined as a function of the size of the workpiece being coated. Itshould be appreciated that the space of sleeve 16 is preferablycylindrical; however, different shaped sleeves may be provided forspecial coating applications. For example, a conical sleeve which wouldvary the shape of the annular space may be needed for increasing coatingthickness preferentially.

In accordance with the particular feature of the present invention thehollow sleeve is provided with a plurality of perforations 26 forcommunicating the annular space 24 with the internal space 18. The sizeof the perforations and the total volume of the perforations are such asto provide sufficient communication of the chemical vapor generatedduring the process of the present invention as described hereinbelowfrom the annular space 24 to the internal space 18 so as to provide forcoating of the airfoil 20. The perforations are preferably sized betweenabout 0.05 to 0.20 inches in diameter.

The coating of the apparatus of the present invention includes a lid 28which is adaptedly secured to the can 12 for closing off the internalspaces of the can from atmosphere. The lid 28 is provided with a slot 30defined by shoulders 32 which support the root portion of the airfoil ina manner to allow the portion of the airfoil being coated to be heldwithin inner space 18. A masking chamber 34 is also provided in the lidfor masking those portions of the airfoil which are not to be coated.

In order to carry out the chemical vapor deposition process, anactivator is located inside the can and it is preferred to provide theactivator 36 in the internal space 18 below the airfoil 20. Theactivator could, however, be provided anywhere within the can includingannular space 24.

In accordance with the process of the present invention a chemicalcoating composition 26 is provided in annular space 24. A suitablechemical coating composition is CrAl. It is preferred in the process ofthe present invention to provide an activator within the internal space18. A suitable activator is AlF₃. The ratio of CrAl to AlF₃ ispreferably between about 8:1 to 12:1 and ideally about 10:1. The amountof the chemical coating composition and activator is dependent on thevolume of the can and is generally between about 1.00 to 3.25 grams percubic inch of can volume. Once the lid 28 is located on the can 12 withthe activator and chemical coating composition in place, the can is thenheated to the desired temperature for sufficient time to carry out thechemical vapor deposition process and coat the surfaces of the airfoil.Typical heating step comprises applying a temperature in the range offrom about 1950° F. to about 2050° F. for a time period of between 4 to17 hours.

It has been found that the apparatus and process of the presentinvention offers significant advantages over the processes carried outin the coat boats of the prior art. Firstly, furnace capacity allows fora greater number of airfoils to be coated in the apparatus of thepresent invention than in coat boats. For example, a maximum of 12 coatboats can be used in typical coating furnaces with each coat boat havingfrom 10 to 14 airfoils. Thus, one furnace cycle is limited to between120 to 180 airfoils. It has been found that when coating airfoils, over200 cans may be placed in the coating furnaces thereby allowing up to200 airfoils to be coated in one furnace cycle. In addition, theapparatus of the present invention allows for coating of single piecesin an economical manner which cannot be achieved by the current coatboat apparatus. Secondly, the small size and weight of the apparatusleads to improved ergonomics and ease of handling. Thirdly, the coatingcycle is significantly shortened with the apparatus of the presentinvention. Finally, and most importantly, the amount of activatornecessary for effective coating is reduced which is beneficial in lightof the cost and environmental problems associated with the activator.

Further advantages will be made clear from a consideration of thefollowing examples.

EXAMPLE

In order to demonstrate the viability of the apparatus and process ofthe present invention, three different type airfoils were coated andcompared to similar airfoils coated in and by the conventional coat boatprocess.

In the first trial JT9D first stage airfoils were coated. A conventionalcoat boat measuring 19 inches by 10 inches by 13 inches deep was loadedwith twelve (12) airfoils. A chemical composition comprising 880 gramsof CrAl and 160 grams of activator AlF₃ was loaded into the coat boat.Twelve can and sleeve apparatus of the present invention were loadedwith a single airfoil, 100 grams of CrAl and 10 grams of AlF₃. The coatboat and can were placed in a furnace and heated to a temperature of1975° F. and held there for four hours to carry out CVD. The coatingthickness of each of the airfoils was measured. The results are setforth in Table I and compared with commercial requirements.

                  TABLE I    ______________________________________                 Coating Thickness                                Coat Time and    JT9D 1st stage blades                 (inches) Average                                Temperature    ______________________________________    Requirements 0.0005 to 0.0025    Can and Sleeve                 0.0019 to 0.0024                                4 hrs @ 1975° F.    Process Trials    Current Coat Boat                 0.0017 to 0.0023                                4 hrs @ 1975° F.    Process    ______________________________________

As can be seen from the foregoing, all specimens met commercialrequirements. The airfoils coated in accordance with the presentinvention achieved coating thicknesses comparable to the coat boatprocess while employing less activator, that is, 120 grams as comparedto 180 grams.

Two further trails were run as above on F100 first stage airfoils andF100 second stage airfoils. The amounts of chemical coating compositionand activator employed were the same as in Trial 1 above. The coatingtimes varied as indicated below in Table II and Table III.

                  TABLE II    ______________________________________                 Coating Thickness                               Coat Time and    F100 1st stage blades                 (inches) Average                               Temperature    ______________________________________    Requirements 0.0020 to 0.0040    Can and Sleeve                 0.0023 to 0.0025                               6.5 hrs @ 1975° F.    Process Trials    Current Coat Boat                 0.0021 to 0.0027                                10 hrs @ 1975° F.    Process    ______________________________________

                  TABLE III    ______________________________________                 Coating Thickness                               Coat Time and    F100 2nd stage blades                 (inches) Average                               Temperature    ______________________________________    Requirements 0.0015 to 0.0030    Can and Sleeve                 0.0024 to 0.0025                                 4 hrs @ 1975° F.    Process Trials    Current Coat Boat                 0.0020 to 0.0023                               6.5 hrs @ 1975° F.    Process    ______________________________________

As can be seen from Tables II and III, coating employing the process andapparatus of the present invention resulted in acceptable airfoils inless time and employing less activator. The result is substantial costsavings and flexibility in the coating process.

Although this invention has been shown and described with respect todetailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art the various changes, omissions, and additions in form and detailthereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theclaimed invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A coating apparatus comprising:a can defining achamber; a hollow sleeve defining an internal space located within saidchamber, said hollow sleeve defines with said can an annular space;passage means located in said hollow sleeve for communicating saidannular space with said internal space; lid means for enclosing said canand said hollow sleeve for forming a closed compartment; and supportmeans for supporting a workpiece at least partially within said internalspace wherein said activator is located within said internal space belowsaid workpiece.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said lidmeans includes support means for supporting a workpiece at leastpartially within said internal space.
 3. An apparatus according to claim2 wherein said workpiece is an airfoil.
 4. An apparatus according toclaim 2 wherein said passage means comprises a plurality of perforationshaving a size of between about 0.05 to 0.20 inches in diameter.
 5. Anapparatus according to claim 3 wherein said support means comprises aslot.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said hollow sleeve isspaced substantially uniformly a distance of between about 0.25 to 0.75inches from said can so as to define said annular space.
 7. An apparatsaccording to claim 5 wherein said airfoil has a platform section and aroot section held by said support means within said lid means.
 8. Anapparatus according to claim 2 wherein a chemical coating composition islocated within said annular space.